Moistening device



. Jly 25, 1939.

w. H. WHEELER, .n

MOISTENING DEVICE Filed April lO, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L /au/D L E v51.

w. H. WHEELER, JR 2,167,257

MOISTENING DEVICE July 25, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1o, 1937 INVENToR.

ATTORNEY Patented July 25, 1939 PATENT OFFlC-E MOISTENING DEVICE Walter H. Wheeler, Jr., Stamford, Conn., assignor to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Co., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application April 10, 1937, Serial No. 136,054

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for moistening gummed surfaces and more particularly to a type of moistening device employing a restricted slot from which moisture may be drawn when articles, such as the gummed surfaces of envelope aps are drawn thereacross.

In devices of this nature the practice has been to utilize a restricted slotted portion of a moistening arm or blade to provide resistance to the normal ilow of liquid therethrough, the liquid supply being maintained' above the level of the moistening slot.

In the present invention a liquid supply is l maintained at .a level below the surface of the' moistening slot of a moistening blade and a restricted slot within the blade acts in the capacity of a capillary slot, in that theliquid is actually attracted to the moistening surface of y the blade by capillary attraction.

It is the principal object of this invention therefore, to provide in a moistening device, means whereby liquid may be brought to the moistening surface of a moistening slot, from a liquid supply having a liquid level below the moistening slot, by capillary attraction.

It is alfurther object to provide means for the v initial priming or the wetting of the walls of the capillary slot to thereby cause immediate capillary attraction of the attracting member.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear .as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described,

In the drawings:

Fig. lis a diagrammatic View on a reduced scale, showing a moistening element and a liquid feed means with part in elevation and part in section;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the moistening element shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view Vthrough the moistening blade taken on the lines 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a moistening element and liquid container including means for submerging the moistening element within the liquid supply for the initial priming thereof;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a complete moistening unit which includes a liquid supply bottle and reservoir conned withina casing and a (c1. sil- 43) portion I 4 which extends downwardly into the container I2. The upper surface of the body portion may be provided with two Wings I5 l5 which rest upon the flanged side walls of the container I2 as shown in Fig. 3 when the blade is in its normal moistening position.

A capillary slot I6 is cut longitudinally through the blade starting from the base of the body portion i4 and continuing through the nger I3, as best sho-wn in Fig. 2, said slot being of a restricted width, as for example about twelve thousandths (.012) of an inch. The lowermost portion of the slot I6, which extends within the containergwill comprise the'liquid intake portion while the lowermost portion of the slot in the iinger I3 will comprise the discharge portion.

Liquid is supplied to the container i2 from a main source of supply,v such as for example from a tank or bottle- I'I, which is arranged so that the neck thereof ris suspended Within a cup I3 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, to provide a normal water level at the position indicated by the dot and dash line. When the liquid supply is to be placed at a position remote from the container I2, La suitable hose or pipe connection I9 may be used to connect the cup I 8 With the container I2. The level maintained at the neck of the bottle I'I, will also be maintained within the container I2.

When the blade is in the position shown in Fig. l and the liquid level is maintained in the position indicated by the dot and dash line, the lower end of the-body portion I4 is submerged within the liquid. As a result of the capillary slot, the said liquid will be attracted to that portion of the slot I6 which normally lies above the liquid level. The liquid first rises vertically Within the slot portion directly above the container then will be attracted sidewardly. By running a strip of paper through the slot until it meets the liquid above the container, the liquid may be quickly drawn into the finger portion of the blade.

When the slot is completely filled with liquid there will be a film of liquid at the lower or discharge surface of the slot, and upon drawing the gummed surface of tape material for example or the flap of an envelope across the said slot, suicient liquid will be drawn olf to adequately moisten the gummed surface and render same adhesive for the purpose of sealing.

It may be desirable to clean the moistening surface of the capillary slot occasionally if foreign particles .and gum should coagulate and adhere to the moistening end of the blade or finger I3 around or across the moistening slot I6. To permit access to the blade for the purpose of cleaning the slot, the said blade may be rocked about its fulcrum ll to the upright position indicated by the dot and dash lines of Fig. 1. While in this position the slot may be cleaned by means of a thin metal blade or the like.

Means is also provided whereby the blade l0 may be retained in either an upright or a normal moistening position. Said means comprises a flat spring member 2|, which has one end secured to the outer wall of the container I2, and is formed to provide a right angled channel for the reception of a squared end 22 at the pivotal end of the blade.

When the moistening device is to be set up for use, or when the liquid has evaporated and the moistening slot is dry, the capillary attraction of the slot in the moistening blade will respond more quickly if the walls of the slot are rst moistened. By inserting and drawing a thin wet blade or wick through the slot when the blade is in the raised position as shown in Fig. 2, the walls of the slot may be easily moistened.

Another method of providing for the pre-moistening or priming of the capillary slot, is disclosed Vin Fig. 5. Here, the structure comprises a container 25 which extends beyond the end of the blade lila, the blade being pivotally mounted on one wall of the container as indicated at lla. A lug 26, extending beyond the rearward end of the blade, is adapted to be clamped to a flanged portion 2l of the container wall by means of a screw 28 when the blade is in a normal moistening position. When however, it is desired to prime or moisten the walls of the capillary slot, the screw 28 is removed and the blade is permitted to drop downwardly into the tank to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 5. The said blade need only remain in this submerged position momentarily, then it is withdrawn to its normal moistening position in a fully primed condition, and after the screw 28 is replaced, the device is ready for a moistening operation.

In Fig. 6, a moistening device is disclosed which contains in one compact unit, a liquid supply, liquid reservoir or container, and a moistening blade, especially constructed for use as a small desk model or the like.

Referring to Fig. 7, the device comprises a casing 4G which is provided with a rear compartment 4I and a lower compartment 42. A liquid supply bottle 43 is suspended, neck down in the rear compartment on suitable supporting lugs 44 and is adapted to empty its liquid content into a container or reservoir 45 positioned therebeneath. A solid metal base 46 is suitably secured within the lower compartment 42 to provide substantial weight for the proper balance of the device and is also adapted to provide a pocket 39 for the support for the container 45.

The liquid supply bottle 43, upon being filled, will be placed in the compartment 4l Vthrough a suitable door 54 neck down, and the liquid will flow into the container 45 until the level reaches the opening in the neck of the bottle, which level will be constantly maintained so long as there is liquid within the supply bottle.

A moistening blade 4l, has a downwardly extending intake portion 48 projecting through an opening 5i] in the platform 49 of the casing 4D, also into the liquid within the container 45, and has a moistening finger portion 5l projecting forwardly of said container. VSaid blade is also preferably rigidly fixed to the platform as for example, by means o-f screws 52, and has a longitudinal capillary slot 53 cut therein which preferably extends through both the upper and the lower surfaces' of the blade.

By cutting the slot through both the upper and lower surfaces of the blade, there is provided access to the slot from above for both the cleaning of the slot when foreign material enters same and for the initial priming of the blade. For example, by taking a thin shim or the like and passingsame through the slot it can be drawn from one end to the other to clean the slot. Also by first extending said shim down through the intake portion of the blade and into the liquid in the container 45, then working the shim up and down and across the slot to wet the walls of the slot, the liquid will be attracted'by the wet walls and will quickly ll the entire slot.

In Figs. 6 and 8, there is indicated in dot and dash lines a guide member 60, which may be included if desired, to guide the ap of an envelope across the moistening slot and to thereby firmly support the gummed surface of the ap against the moistening slot. Similar guidesI may also be included with the structures shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a novel Ymeans for supplying liquid to a moistening blade has been provided which utilizes the principle of capillary attraction, and that by means of the method disclosed, a constant and even supply of moisture is produced. Through the principle of capillary attraction, the liquid is attracted upward from a level below the moistening surface of the moistening blade, then fills the slot area over the moistening surface. Since the slot is of such restricted dimension it will support the liquid therein, and while the said liquid will reach the moistening surface byV gravity it will not pass beyond said surface. The surface tension of the liquid at the lower end of the slot together with the adhesion of the water to the walls of the slot, will normally maintain a ilm of liquid at the moistening surface.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit thereof and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A moistening device comprising a liquid reservoir, a liquid supply means including a bottle positioned over said reservoir neck down to provide a constant level liquid supply to said reservoir, a` casing toenclose said reservoir and bottle, and a moistening blade having a capillary slot therein including a moistening finger projectingbutwardly from the casingand a body portion projecting through said casing and submerged Within the liquid in said reservoir.

2. A moistening device comprising a liquid reservoir, a liquid supply means positioned over said reservoir and adapted to provide a constant level liquid Supply to said reservoir, a casing to enclose said reservoir and liquid supply means, and a moistening blade having a longitudinal capillary slot therethrough and secured to and projecting outside of said casing with a portion of said blade projecting through said casing and submerged within the liquid in said reservoir.

3. In a moistening device, a reservoir, a moistening blade extending sidewardly from said reservoir and having 'a restricted capillary slot therein including an intakeand a discharge portion along the lower surface thereof, a source of liquid supply within said reservoir having a liquid level positioned below the discharge opening, the intake portion of said blade being submerged within the liquid supply to permit -the liquid to enter said intake portion of the slot, said slot being Afurther arranged so that liquid will be attracted upward and sideward across the sidewardly extending. portion of the blade, to provide a continuous supply of moisture at the discharge opening along the lower surface of the blade for the moistening of articles which are wiped thereacross.

y4. In a moistening device, a liquid reservoir having a liquid supply therein, a moistening member including a blade having a moistening surface extending sidewardly from said reserv voir, said moistening member and blade having a slot of capillary size extending inward from the lower surface thereof lwith the lowermost portion of the moistening member positioned within the liquid supply in said reservoir, whereby liquid will be drawn upward through said restricted slot and directed sidewardly by capillary attraction to provide a continuous lm at the moistening surface of the sidewardly extended portion of the blade.

5. The combination with a liquid reservoir and liquid supply including means to maintain a constant liquid level in said reservoir; of a moistener blade projecting sidewardly from said reservoir, said blade having a capillary slot therein including an intake portion which is in Contact with the liquid supply and a discharge portion continuing from said intake portion and extending sidewardly along the blade, whereby the liquid is directed from the reservoir to the moistening 'surface of said sidewardly disposed discharge slot.

' WALTER H. WHEELER, JR. 

